SOUND BITES

It's a pretty good week to be a Pearl Jam fan. With the release of their tenth album Lightning Bolt barely in the rear view mirror, here we are celebrating two decades of Vs . which, if you'll allow me a moment of impartiality, is my favourite record of all time. I think history has somewhat undermined the importance of this record; the tagline for Vs . reads something along the lines of "sold a million copies in one week to set a record that stood for years", painting a picture of grand success. While not entirely false, it's also not really an accurate portrayal of Vs . About a month ago when I talked about Nirvana's In Utero , I stressed how important it was for the survival of the band that it be kind of contrary to what fans and label alike may expect. Like In Utero (though admittedly not quite as harsh), Vs . rails against the fairweather fans and greedy label execs looking for a Ten II . Its manifesto is clear from the drop; Go and Animal aren...

Having pleasantly surprised with their promising sophomore effort (2011's Murder The Mountains ), I was very interested in hearing what Oregonian sludgers Red Fang would do with their next album;  Whales And Leeches greatly expands on the sonics of Murder The Mountains.  The songs go to more interesting places, the hooks are sharper, and the production is suitably meaty.  Touring with class acts like Mastodon and Dillinger Escape Plan clearly did Red Fang good. Here, they've whittled their clubs down to spears, creating a diverse and enterprising album that's nearly as exciting as the prospect of where they choose to venture next. October 15, 2013 • Relapse Highlights Doen • Blood Like Cream • Dawn Rising

It wouldn't have surprised anyone, myself included, if Pearl Jam had gone through the motions for the rest of their career; between three perfectly fine studio albums that nonetheless lacked in sense of adventure and staying power and the nostalgia trip that came with the band's twentieth anniversary, Pearl Jam haven't given all that much in the way of surprises in the last decade and change. Lightning Bolt , their tenth album, is full of them. The four years since Backspacer have provided ample time for the band to deliver this album, and though it hasn't been easy for fans to wait so long it's certainly beneficial to the record as a final product. Most satisfying is the adventurousness, which returns in spades; nearly every one of the dozen tracks sees them trying something they haven't before. It's pointless to list all of the detours they take on Lightning Bolt ; suffice to say, there are plenty of moments to make even the most seasoned fan say ...